It sounds like something straight out of a film. Last month, Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in Flint, Michigan following months of outrage.
The city, one of the poorest in the United States, had been subjected to unclean and unsafe drinking water for over a year, leading to widespread ill-health. Deemed a cover-up on all levels, the crisis led Marc Edwards, a municipal water quality expert who headed up a Virginia Tech study in the area, to declare he had “never seen this level of arrogance and incompetence.”
The crisis began in 2013 when the city council, prompted by a state-appointed emergency manager, opted to alter the source of drinking water, shifting from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) to the at-the-time unfinished Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA). An interim measure was put in place, sourcing water directly from the Flint River. The chlorine levels in the river proved disastrous, eroding the lead from the pipes in the city and placing it directly in the water.
Following the switch in April 2014, it took until the October of the following year for the government to fully acknowledge the problem, and a further three months for the state of emergency to be declared. During this time the citizens of Flint became increasingly unwell, complaining of discoloured and odorous water, only to be reassured by the government that all was well. At its lowest point, residents were blamed for causing a media stir and using the situation for political gain.
With officials having now accepted responsibility, work has begun to re-establish a safe water system in Flint, although the anger understandably remains. As the US Attorney’s Office begins criminal investigations into those involved, many residents are doing their own bit to once again make the city fully inhabitable. Jonathan Diener of the almost-defunct punk outfit The Swellers is one of them.
“The city of Flint, Michigan has been neglected for decades leading to racial divide, extreme poverty and even was on The Most Dangerous Cities In America list,” Jonathan explains of his hometown, before breaking the crisis down chronologically. “The lead exposure was getting people all over sick whether they were drinking or bathing in the water and it took far too long for the national news and rest of the world to even hear what was happening. Finally mainstream media took notice and now it’s everywhere you look.”
Our conversation stems from a series of tweets which appeared on Jonathan’s, Nick Diener’s (Jonathan’s brother and fellow The Swellers member), and the band’s Twitter accounts. Having played their final show in May 2015, the band members were so affected by the events in Flint that they decided to record one final track.
Time to wake up the band from the dead and record a song for charity. Gotta remember how to be a punk, hang on. #theswellers
— Nick Diener (@nickdiener) February 5, 2016
“After witnessing all of the terrible things happening in Flint, our base of operations and claimed hometown, my brother Nick and I decided to get the band back together for one final song called, ‘Not Safe To Drink’,” Jonathan continues, explaining how this simple act has spawned an impressive compilation. “Added on with other Flint bands like King 810, Tunde Olaniran and Craig Owens of Chiodos, we’re teaming up 60 plus bands to raise awareness of music fans around the world and get money for the Flint Child Health & Development Fund to aid those affected by lead exposure.”
Starting as a conversation between Jonathan and his friend James Shotwell, it took only 24 hours to pull together forty bands to be involved in the compilation. In some cases, demand was too high. “We reached out to some people, a few hundred emails, texts and Facebook messages showed up from others trying to get involved. For the first few days we let anyone who was passionate onto the comp then finally had to start capping it off,” Jonathan explains.
The compilation features music by the likes of Taking Back Sunday, Safe To Say, Pentimento, Timeshares, Craig Owens, Anti-Flag, Meat Wave, Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) and the final original track by The Swellers. Their involvement is testament to the injustices faced by the people of Flint, Michigan. Funds raised from the compilation will go some way to turn the lives around of innocent young people who are facing long-term health complications due to prolonged lead exposure.
“If there was ever a time to invest in our children, it is now,” says Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha of Hurley Medical Center, the founding donor of the Flint Child Health & Development Fund. “Our Flint children deserve every opportunity to be healthy and successful. The creation of this Fund will further ensure that our children are afforded the resources and interventions to overcome this population-wide exposure to lead.”
‘Not Safe To Drink’, featuring in excess of 60 tracks, will be available from the 20th February 2016 via BandCamp in exchange for a minimum donation of $5. All proceeds will go to the Flint Child Health & Development Fund.